COAL CRISIS IN CITY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 283, 24 August 1920, Page 6

COAL CRISIS IN CITY

- POWER-HOUSE STOCKS EXHAUSTED ;; r; : TR4MWAY AND LIGHTING ; f SERVICES CURTAILED SUPPLY OF GAS CUT OFF THREE CARGOES AT WHARF WAITING DISCHARGE

As' foreshadowed in yesterday's Dominion, the very acute shortage of coal, combined with labour troubles, has brought about a crisis in Tegard to the city electrical services, which, if for long extended, will have very serious -arid far-reaching effects, extending to "every.factory, shop and home in' Wellington. The-first intimation to the <;publio. that anything was radically wrong was the exhibition after midday yesterday of the following poster outside the Town Hall:— ' i-'..'■';•"•'■ ELECTRIC LIGHT, .'. All electrio power will be cut off . for all services except! street lighting end power for domestic use after , 6.30 p.m. to-day. . COAL SHORTAGE. ...... The trams will cease running at .2.30 p.m., resume at 4.80 p.m. until i" 6.30 p.m., when they will cease run- ' The news travelled rapidly throught out the city and suburbs with fie usual , ■ exaggerations. Still, it was perfectly ,' clear to the public that the .trouble on- ■) the waterside had not been settled, and .'that' in consequence, two of the niost "important of the city's services were ,-■■ 'seriously affected, and likely to be stop--ped'-altogether. .A-Dominion 'reporter paid a visit to '.the power-house yards, where the coal is Visually stacked, to ifind the only, coal e left was in a few neaps of fine slack, *Ihe,sort of fuel for which the City "Council used to pay 17s. 6d. or 18s. a, %>n six years ago, and which time and "irid changes it has brought l has raised to 'JS3 a tonjeand even at that price it The turbines still jMmmed' merrily within the station, but tlw-bare yards, wiflh the few paltry.'tons , 'MS, dirty '.'slack between "full 'steam 'Knead" and "stop," told a rather depressing story. . ( , ' 'Za o THE MAYoTiNTERVIEffED 10l i - —r••jCDUNCIL LIVING MOM HAND TO -ovoi. .. MOUTH. .quitP°r quite a long time," said the ' o gwyor (Mr. J. P. Luke), when inlerview- ... jjfc "the, council has been living -from ' Jjajjd „to • mouth in regard 'tlo its coal . IBHpp])', though we have done our best D jj£ secure all possible supplies from any firter— practically at any price. I nk.that has. been •_ reflected 6trongly 'latest! "electric light and tramwayo xSeturns, which the papers have noted. position to-day is that we are up for supplies. There is a .Steamer alongside the wharf with from vJQO to 500 ttas, which the Coal Committee.'has allocated to the i.ity, (.Vsuncil. butHhe vessel is not, being worked. "TKe-pbint for primary consideration' fin the,part of l!he council is lo seeithat '■.( j|}i» main part of the ioal we .have left ' o lsJ;refaiiied •• to generate the power Tr- : rf(ujr,«Ufor pumping water to (lie high levels—Wadestown,. Northland, ' BiooktfJUl' and the other, service rethat the residents of Mich places will at least be able to get .water jn sufficient'quant I ;.ties' for their.doraesftic needs and also for drainage ! pnr'josi'S. which is important' to maintain '.flip'health'of the general community. 1 ,;Tliafc'is why it was found iwWsary this afternoon to stop, the trams, for a couple of_.h.oura,\'and to make restrictions iin oiir electric lighting. I have notified that the trams are to cease running between 2.30 'p.ln., and 4.30 p.m. They will resume at 4.30 p.m. and continue until 6.30 D.m., when ilhey are to stop.-: Electric light is to be provided, for .domestic use, and there, will be .niodified street lighting.. i" ' ' '■•.-• j.3?At. .'.. No.Trams at All. ' get no coal to-night, ffliere will 'bVho trams running at all on Tuesday, •arid there will probably be no electric lighting'on Tuesday evening, -which will ' M,X ei 7 awkward for many people, but 'Cannot be helped under the circumstances.' , J-~'., j'Watersiders Offer to Work. "The secretary of the Wellington iWAtersiders" Union came to me this afternoon, and said that the men were prepared to work the Komata's coal for the .'City. : Council ■ and Wellington Gas Company. I' at once communicated with-the representative of the combined shipping companies (Mr. W. Bennett), informing him of-, the men's offer, but a reply came back a little later to i\he •effect that'the companies did not. favour working the ship until a general, .iwttlement was arrived at/, with the'men for the working of all the ships (held up owing to the trouble over wages in connection with the handling of.the Meikei Maru's superphosphates)." " THE "TRAMWAYS .. ;,- 'A RESTRICTED SERVICE. It is-announced by the municipal au- ... minorities that the'trams will run during this morning and until 1 2.30 in the afternoon. Thero will then be- an interval of two hours, during which the trains will be stopped. The service will be N resumed at 4.30 to take people home from business, bur, at G. 30 the cars will ogam cease running. There will be no cars run to-night. All electric power will b<( cut off for all services, with the exception- of street lighting and power for domestic use, alter G. 30 p.m. ' THE COAL TRAPfcOMMITTEE AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT. The Wellington Coal Trade Committee is fully seized with the seriousness of the position, and was in session all yesterday morning. Mr. W. H. Morton (City Engineer) and Jlr. A. Dougall (Wellington Gas Company) attended, and both explained the predicamenti which they were in, , The committee stated thnt the present situation only emphasised the fact) , that Wellington depended entirely on shipments of coal which came to hand week by week. The public would realise now what one day's stoppage at the mine or hnlf-a-day's s loppnge on tho waterfront meant. There were now absolutely no surplus supplies of coal available ,in Wellington. Id was not possible to draw upon any other concern in order that gas, electric light, and power supplies could be maintained. Had labour been available at 8 o'clock yesterday sufficient coal would have ■ been available to carry on all the serh vices mentioned without any interruption. ... J!"; • ;-■ gaslupplies •v|' AT THE LOWEST EBB. '■'•"'iTlie. general hold-up of coal steamers ■Tn/tiie' ivatei'front has affected the Gas '"©inpany equally with the City Coun''ltll; The Komata had coal for dis-'-;,-.'cte«',at Miramar and. tho city, but ' : *'»?; toT'JiV-' Meikbl."Mam. trouble, I -'.•■■':'tKowncrs'.' representatives would, not . s'«?rco to other vessels .being worked un,/til agreement was arrived at. AiiNThft officials of ■ the Gas Company :.4-;'Btat«'-thaT thev can guarantee'no 'sup- •: '■; <j( gas after 6 a.m. to-day, so Wat • f-i.'W'lho depend solely on gas as a < ; - will go to work on a cold :;-.:/.Wf!«k this., morning. '

The position is that the city is being starved for coal with 4500, tons in the harbour waiting to bo discharged. This quantity is made up as follow:— Tons. Ivomata 2200 Kini . 1200 Bona, 1100 THE DNlois"pOS,lTloN QUITE PREPARED TO WORK THE COAL. Mr, J. G. Bruce,, secretary of the Waterside Workers' Union, stated yesterday afternoon:— "So far as the union is . concerned there are men. who are. available and willing to work coal needed for the city. Men have been available since a quarter to one on Saturday until a quarter; to three o'clock to-day—the hour up ta which labour could be engaged. 'I have informed both Mr. Luke and Mr. Morion, that we are willing to unload the coal under normal conditions. If the employers will not employ the men to-morrow, then the union will endeavour to do so, "We cannot see why tin whole of the publio should bo i.nwnyaawnced because of some dispute over' a Japanese vessel—a dispute which does not concern the public in the slightest. On Thursday morning a certain number of men .were engaged to unload the phosphates. They were engaged at 3s. and 4s. per hour. Later the shipping people thought that a mistake had,been made, and they repudiated a contract which the men had made-in good faith. As the result of a protest from the union, it was agreed that 3s. and 4s. should be paid up to 10 o'clock on Thursdny night.. Since then no labour has been offering for the Japanese boat. *"Is that any reason why Wellington should be denied coal? Men have been employed.on the Wahine and the Pateena. Is it 'more important thnf, tho Union Company's service should be maintained in preference to such important city! services e9 trams'and.light? "I repeat that we are prepared to unload the coal to-morrow morning. If necessary the union will- employ the necessary labour. The men are viiting for work, and through the action of tho shipping companies they'and the city have been seriously penalised."

THE EMPLOYERS'SIDE AN AUTHOEITATIVE STATEMENT. An authoritative statement issued on behalf of the employers is as follows:— "The secretary .'of tho union (Mr. Bruce) misinformed the men regarding tho. rate that they were to get for working tho Japanese ship. Mr. Bruce said that if ho told the men this I hey would stop work. At a meeting of the local Disputes' Committee the employers,' recognising that Mr. Brlico had made aiv error, decided to pay the men ?s. an hour ordinary time, 'and is. an hour overtime till 10 p.m., so as mot to break faith with workers who, when, engaged; thought ithey were to get 3s. and 4s. an hour. The decision of the ■ employers was approved by the whole committee. It was made on the distinct understanding that the men worked at the award rate of 25., sd. an hour on the next and on subsequent days. The employers stand on the fact that Japanese phosphate is specified in the award at 25.. sd.'an hour, and that this particular cargo is in (ixcellent condition, double-bagged, and not at all dusty. In the circumstances they cannot see why they should pay 3s. and 4s. nn hour. However, should the cargo prove dusty towards tho bottom, the employers are quite willing to refer the matter to the local Disputes, Committee, and to abido by the committee's decision. "The employers are firmly resolved not to engage any more labour on tho waterfront till the men work the phosphate tho award rate. An exception to the rulo will, however, be made in the case of the ferry boats connecting the two islands. Labour will he engaged for the Pateena, the Wahine, the Maori, the Kaitoa, and the Nikau whenever they are in port. People come into' Wellington from all parts of the country to travel by the ferry boats, 'and if tho boats were to be held up many would find it impossible to obtain accommodation in' the city, and would suffer hardship in consequence."

ON THE WATERFRONT ' TWO MATTERS'' IN DISPUTE. When a call for labour to work tho Meikai Maru was made yesterday there was no responso, and so the ship's owners generally decided not to engnge any fresh labour, although plenty was offering. Later it was decided te engago labour for the Pateena and Wahine, and a call was made for men to work these two vessels. The call was responded to, and these boats, with the Waihemo, Waikawa, and a few other vessels for which labour had been engaged prior to the commencement of the trouble, were tho only ships in purt working yesterday. Tho Tnrawcra, Port Curtis, Corinna, Rosamond, Rini. Komata. Waitangi, Wootton, and a largo number of otner vessels, wore nil .idle, and the tim» of departure of nil these ships is uncertain. It is still hoped to dispatch tho Waihemo and Ta'rawera for Sydney to. dnv. but the possibility is that they will not lenvi*.

Several coal cargoes are waiting discharge alongside the wharves. •- The Komnta has 2200 tons, the Kini 1200 tons, nnd the Eona 1100 tons. • The last-named vessel only arrived yesterday. The Rauno, wit), a-coal cargo from New--co-stlo, is due' any time now, and tho Knrarau is expected to-morrow. She lias coal for the gasworks.

Tho Cause of tho Trouble; The main cause of the whole dispute is a disagreement over the rate to bo paid for the handling of a superphosphate cargo on the Mcikni Mnru (from Kobe, Jnpan). The watersiders when they worked the cargo on Thursday received 13s. per hour, and 4s. oveftimer but this rate was-only paid owing to a misunderstanding. The superphosphate is consigned in double bags, and the employers consider the cargo quite cleaq and not unpleasant to handle. They havo, therefore, refused to pay the rates demanded by tho watersiders, and are only prepared to pay tho rates specified in the agreement. 2s. sd. per hour ordinary time, and 3s. Od. overtime. Under these rates tho watersiders have refused to work.

There is also a dispute ovor tho interpretation of the wo; weather clause in the agreement. When the watersides decided on Friday that it was too wet to work' certain vessels, the employers, to save expense, decided to dismiss tho men from the boats affected. Then tho weather cleared up, and another call tor labour was made, but tho result was disappointing. The watersiders protest against the dismissal of the men under these circumstances. SPECIAL MEETING~OF~ CITY COUNCIL A special mecnSiiig of the City Council has been called for 10 a.m. to-day, in connection with the coal shortago 'and its effect on the city services.

ENTERTAINMENTS POSTPONED

On account of alt power being cut off from the Town Hall last evening the English Pierrots had to abandon their performance. The free public lecture which wbb to have been held under the auspices of the Victoria University College Professorial Board, was also postponed for the, same reason. A number of other entertainments in various parts of the city wero also abandoned. EFFECT OfTPARLIAMENT It is possible that if thero is to be any restriction in lighting services Parliament will have to take a partial holiday during the present week. It will be impossible to insist on the lighting of Parliament Buildings if private houses and other places are to be cut off. Nothing has been deoided as to the future course of action, but the chances seem to be that at any rate night sittings of the House will be stopped.